Digital Library Infrastructure in Finland - Political Decisions Empowering Development

This paper presents an overview of effects of recent political decisions on the higher education network as well as the research environment in Finland and in particular describes their impact on digital library services. The driving force behind the government decisions and actions aim to strengthen internationally competitive research and innovation in the country. The change of the legal status of universities and restructuring the higher education network, the realization of Research Infrastructure Survey and Roadmap and the launch of the Finnish Digital Library project are the main actions affecting the development of library services. Particularly in light of the current global economic situation the need for national infrastructures which can be applied at institutional level becomes vital. The cooperation between Finnish libraries and the National Library of Finland is advanced but in the emergence of new digital services there are opportunities for collaborations outside the previous sphere to encompass new partners.